Bundes said:

Hi Si. As you can see I have finally joined the forum that I've been following and talking about for nearly a year. It was great to thank them for all the amazing info I have gained. I think its been the best possible deal available on the new cross that I've got via you & fiat.
I see you joined up in 2006! You love your fiats. I might read ur old posts later.
I hope my posts on here can add to the help that future buyers can gain from reading this forum. I gained, that's for sure, otherwise I'd be buying a trekking at full price rather than a cross at a bargain price.
I know you'll keep me informed on its progress but do you have any idea if Dec is even likely?
See you on Saturday for tato's 90th

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Mark,

At the longest, 12 weeks, I have had factory order panda'a arrive in 6 weeks before but I can't say at this point how long it'll take. What I will do is everytime the status changes I'll let txt u with a wee explination if what that status means.

As for loving my fiats, yes and I miss my abarth so much, that I'm letting Susan use the focus as her car and I'm on the look out for either a tipo 2.0 16v sedicivavole, or a mk1 punto gt as summin for myself

Aikidoamigo said:

Just done the underside and all the visible bolts with Waxoyl... really easy to apply when heating the can in a bucket of hot water and spraying on with a pump action garden sprayer.

Did ours the weekend we picked it up, after only four miles on the clock!

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I think I'm going to go down a similar route as you. I'm going to use a substance that is used at my work, I dont even know its name. It starts as a thick liquid but becomes a solid rubber-like water resistant gel coating that is peelable when required. The sub frame will be getting a good coating of paint and the rest I plan to spray yearly with a silicon based lubricant to help repel water. The cross has underbody steel protective shields, so I reckon they will need looking after yearly.
I would love this car to last for a mighty long time. I think I will have more muddy bumpy fun with the cross the older it gets, so anything I can do to help it reach a grand old age, I will attempt to do. The cross ticks a hell of a lot of boxes for me, and due to me never buying a new car before, it might be a while until another car ticks the same important boxes.
When I took my first car, Yreg fiat127 1300GT, for its first MOT (with me as its owner), the Tester asked me & my dad, "who's the painter?". As I bought the car before I passed my test, I spent more time under the car than driving it. After I had finished rebuilding the passengerside footwell (amongst many other places) with fiberglass, it got one hell of a paint job. I think it was the gloss break pipes that distracted him away from the fiber-floor. It was a great first car! Who wanted a crappy mini metro, fiesta or the likes, not me. I got twin carbs, bucket seats and alloys as standard but I bet that all that is left of that fiat is the big piece of fiberglass.
Good Times

Bundes said:

I think I'm going to go down a similar route as you. I'm going to use a substance that is used at my work, I dont even know its name. It starts as a thick liquid but becomes a solid rubber-like water resistant gel coating that is peelable when required. The sub frame will be getting a good coating of paint and the rest I plan to spray yearly with a silicon based lubricant to help repel water. The cross has underbody steel protective shields, so I reckon they will need looking after yearly.
I would love this car to last for a mighty long time. I think I will have more muddy bumpy fun with the cross the older it gets, so anything I can do to help it reach a grand old age, I will attempt to do. The cross ticks a hell of a lot of boxes for me, and due to me never buying a new car before, it might be a while until another car ticks the same important boxes.
When I took my first car, Yreg fiat127 1300GT, for its first MOT (with me as its owner), the Tester asked me & my dad, "who's the painter?". As I bought the car before I passed my test, I spent more time under the car than driving it. After I had finished rebuilding the passengerside footwell (amongst many other places) with fiberglass, it got one hell of a paint job. I think it was the gloss break pipes that distracted him away from the fiber-floor. It was a great first car! Who wanted a crappy mini metro, fiesta or the likes, not me. I got twin carbs, bucket seats and alloys as standard but I bet that all that is left of that fiat is the big piece of fiberglass.
Good Times

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Great choice of first car! Mine was a 1050CL with none of the sparkly bits you mentioned, but more fun than all the assorted junk friends had (including an early XR3 which was comfortable and looked the part, but that's it). A 127 will run rings round nearly everything of a similar age, and will out accelerate a 2.4 jelly mould Granada (it was new, and couldn't keep up once we hit 70...... ). This is why I still have a couple of 127's, and also why I fell down a long and slippery Fiat slope.......

Anyway, underbody protection is waaayyyy better these days, and they use steel in their steel too (which helps! ). No harm in extra protection though - just use a proper underseal not something that might work but fell off a lorry - it might be fine, but make sure it's not going to peel and then trap water elsewhere. Good old engine oil does a half decent job when it leaks from an old mk2 Panda(!), but personally I'd go for a tried & tested Waxoyl or Dinitrol type product.

You're right about the older it gets - come along to the Yorkshire offroad weekends & see how the mk2 4x4 Panda's are used - some are now getting a bit valuable to do anything too extreme, so the cheapest mk3's are now taking up the slack! :slayer:

These status codes are as follows.

10: Heavy Variability, Confirmed Order. Fiat has your order but it can still be changed

13: Light Variability, Confirmed Order. This is the point where only limited changes to your order can now happen.

16: Fixed, Confirmed Order. your order is now fixed and can no longer be changed with regards factory spec.

20: Built, Fairly self explanatory.

30: Shipment, At dock waiting to get on a boat.

35: Transit, On the water bobbing along to the UK

40: Arrived, At the docks in good old Blighty

45: Ready, Car is waiting for collection by transport company.

50: With Delivery Instruction, Delivery instruction has been sent to transport company.

55: Goods Out, Car is on a transporter on its way to your dealer

60: Arrival at Dealership, Yay! From Status 60 till you pick up your car is now dependent on what dealership options you have, how efficient your dealer is and when you want to pick it up.[/QUOTE]


To the others guys that have a Cross on order, I was given the status of my Cross today and I reckon its getting built very soon, maybe even tonight. Its status 16, so its no going back with changing my options, engine or colour. Next stage is built.
Maybe you should get in touch with your dealer tomorrow morning guys.

I read on another thread about deals not available on the Cross, think the dealer is trying to punt older stock 4x4s & Trekkings. If what I got my cross for isn't proof that amazing deals ARE 100% AVAILABLE, then I don't know what is. Guys, research the Privilege Purchase Scheme, start by using fiat.co.uk , look in the tab "fleet" then "partners" and see what you could join to then entitle you to a £3250 Fiat deposit contribution rather than the current 1400. Use google to research the rest. This works for the trekking guys, u can pick one up for about £9500 before options. My advice is, grab the deal now but hey, it might get even better in Quarter 1 of 2015. 2014 Q3=£2300 , Q4=£3250

Wouldnt it be cool if you could watch your factory order fiat being built, live online.
The birth of my RED X G14NT X PANDA CROSS. I even let the robots squeeze my hand during the labour.

Bundes

I need to find an old quarry, or the likes, to let the Cross to fulfill its birth right. Obvisiously this will be when the Mrs is away for a long enough period to get the bits I break, fixed.
I can't wait till the Cross becomes the old second car that I can play with.

When I saw your pics, I thought they'd built your Cross last night, and were enjoying playing with it today before giving it a quick rub down with an oily rag, zeroing the mileometer and putting it on a transporter to the UK

Isn't it a shame the Beige Cross didn't even make the launch party for the UK dealerships.
I was gonna go for the yellow and get the roof and pillars wrapped in blue, as the Mrs & her family are from Ukrainian blood.
The Red won eventually for me but at one point I had picked each colour. I was a hard choice.
Let's have a wee fiat forum vote, what would be your choice of the available colours if you were to buy & live with a new Cross? I predict that black will be a popular choice. Its a very shiny black but I didn't like it with the matt black of the trim. I think other nice colours will become available over the next couple of years, especially to boost sales before each winter. That 500 NU BLU is lovely. I also see the 500 has a new green.

Bundes

gar074 said:

When I saw your pics, I thought they'd built your Cross last night, and were enjoying playing with it today before giving it a quick rub down with an oily rag, zeroing the mileometer and putting it on a transporter to the UK

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Hey, maybe they did and posted these pictures today, those pesky Italian robots, build it on the nightshift then going for a muddy burl on a Saturday morning before the Boss gets in.

It would have to be the black for me. Just negotiating with the dealer at the moment to swap out the 1 year old Antarctica for a shiny new Cross using the Privilege scheme. My only stipulation is to not pay any extra each month!

Nice one Bundes, that's the first time I have actually seen a green Cross in the metal - or rather the pixel! Going to give my dealer a ring tomorrow to see where they are up to in Naples.?

DismasX said:

It would have to be the black for me. Just negotiating with the dealer at the moment to swap out the 1 year old Antarctica for a shiny new Cross using the Privilege scheme. My only stipulation is to not pay any extra each month!

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The dealer I know, that was at the launch, says everyone thought the black was stunning!
I think I'd be happy with any of the colours as I really just like the car.

My plan is to buy the car over 34months but, if like u, I want to change early, I'm determined not to give back the car on the cheap. I would rather buy the car on borrowed money and then sell it myself. My dealer says that 4x4 pandas don't hang about, can be very popular in the coming winter months, so this way could work for me in 34months time. Make the final payment, sell the red giant and get a fresh new one, again using the privilege scheme, maybe with a cool new metallic paint. More than likely, I will keep this one for many years.

Hope you get a top deal. Try to beat my 80p interest��

I'd probably go for the green. It would have been my choice but the misses was taken by the Antarctica and it's her car.

I'd still go for the regular 4x4 but can totally understand why people would go for the Cross, or indeed the Trekking.

I do not want to tempt fate at all but it would be interesting to have just a bit of snow.

The misses took the Antarctica out in the horrendous rain this afternoon. One reason we got this is that I think that it is safer in adverse conditions than the 500.

Bundes said:

Hope you get a top deal. Try to beat my 80p interest

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I managed to get one quote using the configurator that ended up with a minus figure for the interest :devil: Still not sure how I managed that, but I reckon it's probably down to the final £285 fee.

Am I missing something, I can't see how to get the configuration tool to show values for privilege?

Bogwoppit said:

Nice one Bundes, that's the first time I have actually seen a green Cross in the metal - or rather the pixel! Going to give my dealer a ring tomorrow to see where they are up to in Naples.?

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It does look really special in green. The contrast between all that black trim & the paint is less, which on one hand is a good thing but its a Cross, so in your face works for me.

Just got a hold of a picture from my friend/fiat dealer, its the other colour that the cross is available in. This must be quickest cappuccino to go on the road!
Is anyone mad enough to buy it or a cross in that colour?

I actually quite like that but then I am colour blind. I also liked the "primer" grey the Abarth was/is available in and once came within a hairs breath of ordering one with the Sabelt seats and special Zorst. Ended up with an Alfa GTA though, a very different animal indeed.

Bogwoppit said:

I actually quite like that but then I am colour blind. I also liked the "primer" grey the Abarth was/is available in and once came within a hairs breath of ordering one with the Sabelt seats and special Zorst. Ended up with an Alfa GTA though, a very different animal indeed.

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I nearly lost a mouthful of chocolate reading that.

DismasX said:

Am I missing something, I can't see how to get the configuration tool to show values for privilege?

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The configurator on fiat.co.uk isn't for using with the PPS exact figures, you just have to represent the figures.
FDC = 1400 PPS.FDC = 3250
MAX CUSTOMER DEPOSIT = 5340 PPS MAX CUSTOMER DEPOSIT = 3490
So if you have zero actual deposit, enter 1850 as the deposit, this represents the total FDC of 3250.
The figures from this point are very very close between PPS & normal fiat deal.
Try taking the months to 34 and the miles up. My lowest interest on the cross with my options was 34p.
The deal I approached my dealer with was £2.45 int, but with the fiat PPS, FGA FINANCE came back with £0.80.
Your situation seems more complicated due to the other car not really being a trade in, as FGA own it until you buy it. As you've only had it one year, maybe you should try to end the contract, take the hit and then save 1850 over the current fiat normal deal.
I got a great deal as I put in 3400 deposit, 90 short of the max, only over 34mths and 12k miles per year. The total I pay fiat for a 17135(inc285) cross is 13885.80.
GAR: IS THIS WHAT YOU MEAN BY NEGATIVE INTEREST? Tell about the figures u have found GAR

DismasX said:

Am I missing something, I can't see how to get the configuration tool to show values for privilege?

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The fiat config defaults to regular finance (premier hp). You press the button for low cost finance.

TwinAir Newbie said:

I nearly lost a mouthful of chocolate reading that.

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Oops?

Just checked out the Nu Blu that Bundes mentioned was available on the 500 cult, why isn't this available for Trekking/4x4/Cross? It's a cracking colour, suit the Panda down to the ground.